


some sunshine for his soul

by sagelights



Category: Bridgerton (TV)
Genre: F/M, daphne and simon are married but sorry i never mention it in the story, modern day AU, some cute polin fluff, summer vacation at the bridgerton beach house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29167938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagelights/pseuds/sagelights
Summary: 4 times the bridgerton gang witnessed an intimate moment between penelope and colinand 1 time that they got caught spying_added a bonus update! set about a year after the first chapter
Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington
Comments: 41
Kudos: 244





	1. snippets of love

i.

Violet chuckled as she watched her children scramble to claim their room as soon as possible. The three youngest especially practically leapt out the mini-van the moment their mama parked in the driveway. Violet unloaded her luggage last and locked the van, following everyone into the beach house that was to be their vacation home for the next few days.

She walked down the corridors upstairs trying to find whichever room her family had left open for her. But she stopped when she saw Eloise walk out of a room mildly ticked, who explained that Penelope kicked her out because she asked to room with Colin this time. Violet smiled and stole a glance at the couple from the doorway. Her son was playfully complaining about how he didn’t want to share a room with his girlfriend because of how messy she was. Penelope refuted that claim with a sarcastic remark about how disorganized he was as well.

From the instant her Eloise and Penelope became friends as little children, Violet regarded the ginger as one of the Bridgertons and was delighted that her son had found love. They were quiet for a moment before she heard Penelope articulate just how delighted she was to be here with Colin; that there was no where she could be happier. Violet stopped eavesdropping on their intimate moment and carried on towards her own room. She could only pray that Colin would get down on one knee soon.

_Oh, young love._

ii.

The siblings gathered in the living room after dinner, making it impossibly loud, but that was how the Bridgertons were. Anthony was wrapped up in chess with Daphne, while Gregory, Francesca, Simon, and Hyacinth sat on the couch enthralled in an intense game of Mario Kart. Eloise and Benedict chattered excitedly as they left (Anthony presumed to go smoke outside).

And then there was Colin and Penelope, off in a world of their own with playing cards in hand, competing head-to-head in repeated rounds of Speed. Every time Daphne was making a move, he took time watch the way his younger brother and Penelope interacted. Anthony had always approved of Penelope and cared for her fiercely like he would any of his sisters, but now they were together, it was different. They seemed more confident and freer than before; no preoccupations hindered them from truly being themselves.

Colin groaned as he lost again, for the fifth time in a row. Penelope giggled lovingly at her boyfriend’s reaction and scooted closer to him. They kissed a couple of times, but never went any further than that, before moving to cuddle on the empty couch where Eloise and Benedict had been. Colin said something into Penelope’s ear, to which she smiled and blushed. Their relationship was not born out of lust, but instead a genuine companionship. Anthony could only hope that one day he would find someone he could look at the way Colin looked at Penelope.

_A true love match._

iii.

When Eloise came down the stairs, she did not expect to see anyone else awake. It was six in the morning and the sun had barely rose in the sky, which Eloise occasionally liked to wake early to watch. She wandered towards the kitchen in hopes of finding leftovers from last night’s dinner she could munch on while cooking breakfast for the rest of the Bridgerton clan.

However, when she got to the entryway, she saw two glasses of almost finished red wine sitting on the kitchen island. Her eyes glanced up and saw Penelope leaned against the sink with the window out to the back of the property and the beach behind her. Colin was standing in front of her with his arms wrapped around Penelope’s waist. Eloise silently leaned against the wall, captivated by the display. Even she had to admit, it was sweet to see her best friend and brother so happy together.

Penelope got up on her tippy-toes and tilted her head back slightly as Colin leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. They kept their eyes closed, leaned closer together until their foreheads touched, and just smiled. Eloise shook her head playfully and chose to head back up the stairs to read instead. Colin and Penelope could worry about breakfast for the family, Eloise decided, since they’ve already taken up the kitchen. As she left (not before snapping a picture to tease Pen about later), she heard soft whispers from the happy duo.

 _I love you._ _And I you._

iv.

Benedict watched the sun set from the back patio of their vacation home, beer in hand. He was enchanted by the way the sky was painted every dawn and every dusk with bright and colorful swirls of orange, red and pink. And then, the art would shift to include hues of purple and blue until it all faded to a dark night sky dotted with brilliant stars. He loved it.

As he was soaking in the remaining sunlight, Benedict heard voices coming from the beach ahead. Laughter mixed with the lapping waves filled the ambience. He spotted the small figures of Colin and Penelope in the shallower side of the ocean, running through the water trying to avoid being splashed by the other. Eventually, Colin caught up to his girlfriend, scooping her up in his arms and spinning her around. Penelope laughed even louder and started to swat at Colin’s arm, insisting that he put her down.

When he finally did, he placed a kiss on her lips and her forehead. Colin sat down and pulled Penelope into his lap. Benedict took a sip of his beer and gazed at his brother embracing Penelope tightly, who leaned back and let her shoulders relax. The waves, now calmed down much like the couple, washed over the two of the gently. He contemplated going back into the beach house to quickly grab his sketch book and charcoals to draft out a rough image of the pair. But he decided against it, opting just to appreciate the moment.

_Their love is art worth capturing._

+i.

Hyacinth found Colin and Penelope out in the driveway loading their luggage into the back. She watched as Colin teasingly stood back and watched Penelope struggle to close the trunk’s door.

“Help her, Colin! Don’t just stand there,” Hyacinth yelled from the archway of the front door. Colin smiled wordlessly, walked over to shut the trunk, and placed a kiss atop Penelope’s head. She huffed with annoyance at her boyfriend before turning to Hyacinth to thank her for putting some sense in her brother’s brain.

“Brother, are you and Penelope going to get married?” Hyacinth asked curiously. Penelope froze still, equally as mortified by the question and by Colin’s answer.

Colin placed a hand on the small of Penelope’s back and simply responded, “Someday.”

Hyacinth was still confused and pressed on, “But why would you want to wait? Don’t people marry when they love someone?”

“It takes time, Hyacinth.”

“Oh, okay then,” that explanation seemed to suffice for Hyacinth and she walked back in.

Penelope looked up at her boyfriend with utter joy and shock, “Did you just propose to me, Colin?”

He turned to face her properly, shaking his head. His arms snaked around her waist and he explained, “No, Pen, you deserve something much grander than my youngest sister asking a question out of curiosity.”

“I would say yes regardless, you know.”

Colin was absolutely elated, and his cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so wide. He opened his mouth say something else but was cut off by a yell from the window, “I better be you maid of honor, Pen!”

The pair looked up to see Anthony, Benedict, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Simon staring at them from the window.

“No, I think I’ll ask Daphne instead, El,” Penelope teased.

“You better not, Penelope Featherington!” Eloise stuck her tongue out at her best friend.

Colin laughed, “You guys put Hyacinth up to that, huh.”

“She asked us a question and we just told her to ask you two,” Daphne said cheekily.

Anthony and Benedict shouted at the same time, “I’m your best man, right?”

“Of course not, Gregory is!”

“Colin Bridgerton!” they yelled in sync again.

Gregory chimed in, “I told you I’m his favorite.”

Simon laughed, “Children, stop fighting already. They aren't even engaged yet!”

"I cannot believe I’m related to you lot,” Francesca mocked.

Colin turned away from the window and glanced back at his girlfriend, “I cannot believe I’m yours.”

Penelope reached up and placed her arms around his neck, “I am pretty amazing, aren’t I,” and kissed him sweetly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow okay i did not expect to be writing more than one bridgerton fic but polin is too cute :')  
> i hope you enjoyed, feel free to leave a comment and/or a kudos!


	2. always yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bonus chapter! bonus chapter! bonus chapter!

“Are we the first ones here?” Penelope asked when Colin unlocked the front door to the Bridgerton beach house. For the past couple of years, ever since she started to date Colin, Penelope had been tagging along in this annual beach trip. She did come once as a child when Eloise invited her because things were particularly bad at the Featherington home. Though with the addition of Simon and Penelope, the household of eleven was growing quite crowded. No one seemed to mind, however, they all thought it quite cozy.

Per tradition, everyone would meet early in the morning at the family home and pile into two separate mini vans driven by their mama and Anthony. This was the first year where Colin insisted on going with Penelope alone. His excuse was strange and unbelievable, and everyone knew something was off, but he was so persistent about it that the Bridgerton matriarch let it slide just this once.

"Yeah, seems like it. Everyone should arrive in a couple of hours,” Colin dropped their luggage haphazardly into the living room, picked up a candle from in front of the TV, and walked into the kitchen.

Penelope followed in tow, “What are you up to?”

Colin struck a match and dipped it into the candle to light up the wick, “I thought it would be nice to have lunch on the back patio by ourselves. No family members, just a view of the beach. I ordered some food and some beer a little bit ago while we were still driving down, so it should arrive soon. I’m sorry it’s not the most elegant setup and I should’ve done-,” he was cut off by Penelope.

“Colin, stop! You have nothing to apologize for. It sounds absolutely wonderful, thank you for doing this,” and she kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled back to admire her with a sweet smile plaster on his face.

They separated when the door rang and Colin headed to answer it, “Why don’t you go upstairs and unpack? I’ll make sure everything is prepared outside.”

“You literally did none of the cooking, Colin. What is there even to prepare?” Penelope quipped as she picked up their luggage.

Colin chuckled and started to rub his neck with his right hand, “Fine, would ‘setting up’ be more apt then?”

“I guess I'll take it,” she answered cheekily.

When Penelope found her boyfriend in the back of the property, she was overwhelmed. He had strung up outdoor garden lights connecting from the side of the house down to the small wooden fence that enclosed the patio. In the corner, Colin covered the simple fold-up wooden table in a white tablecloth and decorated it with the candle he lit from before and a small vase of bright yellow sunflowers and some white baby’s breath. Colin was putting the finishing touches on the plates of food and opened of the bottles of beer. He pulled a chair out and gestured for her to take a seat.

"You really don’t have to plate the fish and chips, silly,” Penelope said as she sat down.

“I know, but I wanted to,” Colin responded with a smile.

“Where did you even get all this décor?”

“Brought the with me, of course!”

“The flowers too?”

“No, no, those I got delivered too. Wanted them to be fresh for you.”

“They smell wonderful, I love it.”

The couple was whisked away to another world, chatting and joking with each other for a long time, though it was like nothing else existed around them. The sun was high in the sky and the salty smell of the ocean waves made it feel like a fairytale. Then, Penelope saw Colin reach into his back pocket.

“Are the rest of them on their way?”

“I’d assume so,” Colin answered looking down at something in his lap. Oh, so he wasn’t checking his phone, Penelope guessed.

“Is something wrong?” Penelope was starting to get a little concerned because she thought the afternoon was going well.

“Pen, can I tell you something?”

"Of course.”

Colin exhaled sharply out his nose, fidgeting with something in his fingers before looking back up at his beautiful girlfriend, “I still remember the first time Eloise brought you home. We were all so little back then and it’s crazy to think that for almost the entirety of my life, I’ve known you…”

It hit Penelope; she knew what was going on now. For the most part, it felt like her heart was in pure bliss because it was finally happening after a lifetime of being in love with Colin Bridgerton. However, there was a nagging part of her mind that was becoming increasing worried as Colin’s declaration went on. Though Colin was thirty already, she was still in her twenties, she thought. They were young and what if everything changes within the next couple of years? His job takes him all over the world, what if after a long time of being together, the distance starts to ruin them? By the time Penelope could silence that section of her brain, she had missed most of what Colin was saying. _Shit_.

“I love you my whole soul, darling,” Colin got out of his seat and knelt down on one knee beside her, revealing a simple yet stunning diamond ring that he had been holding, “so, Penelope Feathering, will you marry me?”

Penelope clasped her hands over her mouth with a gasp and nodded her head profusely, “Of course! You’d be the dumbest person alive to think otherwise!”

Colin laughed and slipped the ring onto his fiancée’s left hand, “Wow, still finding a way to diss me, huh?”

“Yep, and I’ll be doing it for our entire lifetime,” she cupped his face and kissed him—for once, she was the one bending down. Colin’s hands found their way to Penelope’s waist and he lifted her in the air. Unfortunately, their moment was cut short once again by the doorbell.

“Did you order something else?”

“I don’t believe so,” they wandered into the living room hand-in-hand at the exact moment the front door swung open to reveal an exasperated Violet Bridgerton entering with the rest of their family.

“Why on Earth did you force us all to make so many pitstops, Eloise! Colin and Penelope must’ve been here for hours now,” Violet said disapprovingly.

Benedict teased, “Actually, Mama, I doubt they would mind that at all.”

Eloise spotted the couple and she glared at her brother, “Blame Colin. He forgot to text me when it was safe for us to arrive.”

“Safe? Why would our beach house not be safe, sister?” Anthony questioned.

Everyone turned towards the happy pair, staring at them for some kind of explanation until Daphne exclaimed in delight, “Oh my goodness, Penelope, your hand!”

Penelope held up her left hand and showed off her new engagement ring. Suddenly the room bursted into a chorus of congratulation, hugs, and a few tears. Eloise hung back a bit, waiting for everyone to finish before approaching her best friend.

“You knew, didn’t you El?”

“Of course, I did. I had to fend off our family for around three hours so that you two could have your _moment_ ,” Eloise turned to her brother and jabbed her index finger onto his chest, “and _you_ were supposed to shoot me a text on when we were in the clear. Do you know how many excuses I had to come up with?”

“Well, it all worked out in the end,” Colin pulled his siter in for a hug, “thanks for your help, El.”

Eloise rolled her eyes and turned back to Penelope, “My best mate is now going to be my sister too. I can’t believe it, Pen.”

“I promised to be your lifelong friend when we were children and I meant it, El. Now, you can never get rid of me,” Penelope embraced Eloise and they both shed a couple of tears.

“This calls for celebration, everyone! Let’s pop open a bottle of champagne or something,” which earned Simon a playful elbow from his wife.

The moment Hyacinth opened her mouth, Violet quickly interjected, “Not for you three,” she said pointing to Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth, “you’re too young to be drinking and I won’t allow it.”

Colin whispered to his siblings, “Don’t worry, I’ll sneak you guys a sip.”

“Colin Bridgerton! You better not!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay turns out i messed up the ages of the bridgerton siblings. hyacinth is supposed to be seven years younger than eloise (and penelope) but for this fic to make more sense, she's gonna be fifteen years younger LMFAO so hyacinth is 10 (to explain her lack of knowledge of marriage from the last chapter), penelope is twenty five, and colin is thrity. everyone else's ages are irrelevant (well this whole explanation was for one sentence...all the ages are kinda irrelevant i guess oops)  
> -  
> i hope you enjoyed the extra polin fluff :')


End file.
